Roller or flat platen



Patented Aug. 4, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROLLER R FLAT PLATEN Inc., Portland, Oreg.

Application November 14, 1932, Serial No. 642,521

l. Claim.

Our invention relates to platens for use upon office machines such as typewriters, adding, computing, and calculating machines. Our platen is particularly adapted for use upon all classes of machines where the same are key-operated, and where the reproduction occurs through the action l of a striking key or type-carrying member.

The invention is comprised primarily of a core made of one or more parts. The core is preferably made of non-metallic material, and may be made sufficiently rigid to maintain the core in suitable working alignment. A secondary core may be placed about the primary core, andv this core is also preferably made of fibrous non-metallic material. The same is preferably sumciently strong to permit the threading of holes therethrough to adapt the driving mechanism of the device thereto.

We place a compressible, highly resilient cylinder about the core assembly and a platen sheath about the resilient cylinder. When the platen is ilnally assembled, we have found best results are to )ae obtained where the resilient cylinder is maintained under slight pressure. -The resilient core is constructed of material as sponge rubber that does not reproduce, telegraph, or transfer sound that i's applied to the platen sheath. For some character of machines the platen may be comprised of a resilient core member and a platen sheath. And in certain classes of adding and calculating machines the platen may be comprised of a backing made of a resilient soundabsorbing material to the face of which a platen plate or sheath is applied. The platen may be secured to the core or to the backing by beingv held relative thereto by cementation.

The primary object of our invention consists vin constructing a platen for oice appliances that will reduce toa minimum, the sound of the striking keys and type-carrying members.

A still further object of our invention consists in so constructing the platen that. it will have a long and useful life and one that will have practical freedom from operating and mechanical annoyances. l

And a still further object of our invention consists in so constructing the core assembly that the. platen and compressible core may be renewed from time to time without the necessity of destroying the remainder of the platen.

And a still further object of our invention consists in so constructing the platen that clear-cut reproductions and a maximum number of carbon copies may be obtained by the operator of the machine upon which our new and improved platen is disposed.

And a still further object of our new and improved device consists in constructing a platen that will have a minimum of first cost.

With these and incidental objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features yof construction and combination of parts, the essential elements of which are set forth in the ap'- pended claim, and a preferred form of embodiment of which is hereinafter shown with reference to the drawings which accompany and form a part of this specification.

In the drawings:

Fig; 1 ls a perspective end View of the .assembled platen.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional side view of the platen as illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the platen illustrated in Fig. 1 and in Fig. 2. This view is of the drive end of the piatei.'

. Fig. 4 is a sectional end view of the platen illustrated in Fig. 2. 'I'his view is taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction indicated.

Fig. 5 is a sectional end view of the platen illustrated in Fig. 2. This view is taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction indicated.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional side view of a platen of modified form.

Fig. 7 is an end view of the drive end of the platen illustrated in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a perspective end view of a still further modified form of platen construction.

- Fig. 9 is a longitudinal sectional side view of the platen as illustrated in Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a sectional end 'view of the platen as illustrated in Fig. 8 and in Fig. 9. 'I'his view is taken on line Ill-Ii! of Fig. 9, looking in the direction indicated.Y

Fig. 11 is an'end view of the drive end of the platen as illustrated in Fig. 8 and Fig. 9.

Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

The primary purpose of our invention is to provide a platen used on oflice appliances such as.

typewriters, adding, computing, and calculating machines. We provide a platen that is comprised of a non-metallic. core --I. The core is shorter than the total length of the platen to leave cylindrical recesses 2 and 3 disposed within the oppositely disposed ends of the platenstructure. Il'he core i, is preferably made in the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, of a.

soV

highly resilient compressible material as live rubber or sponge rubber. It may be made of other sound-absorbing materials. We place a relatively rigid non-metallic core 4 about the inner core I, said core 4 extending the iull length of the platen. The secondary core 4 is made of suitable material to' permit the placing of threaded holes 5 within the drive end of the sec.- ondary core. A cylinder 6, is disposed about the secondary core 4, and the cylinder 6 is made of highly compressible resilient material. We have found that splendid results are to be obtained where the cylinder 6 is made of sponge rubber or live rubber. The core 6, if made of sponge rubber should have relatively small cells to afford substantial rigidity thereto when it is placed about the secondary core 4. 'Ihe cylinder 6 is held upon the core 4 by frictional engagement, and is slightly stretched when being placed thereupon. A platen sheath l, made of suitable platen material as a' relatively hard yet resilient rubber compound, is disposed about the cylinder V6. The

yplatensheath yI may be cemented to the cylinder 4, and the core 4 be placed thereinto thereafter, but irrespective of the method -of assembling the ilnished platen, the resilient -cylinder 6, is maintained under slight compression when assembled.

A slightly modiiled form of platen assembly may be made as illustrated in Fig. 6. When so made, the platen sheath 8 has ilanged ends 9 and I0, disposed in its oppositely disposed ends, and a recess II is disposed'in one ot its ends, and a relatively long cylindrical recess I2, is disposed in its oppositelyb'disposed end. A metal disc I3, is disposed withinthe inner end of the cylindrical recess I2, and threaded holes I4, are disposed in the drive end'of the flange 9 of the platen 'sheath 8. We ll the remainder of the platen sheath witha highly resilient compressible compound IB that may be placed therein while in a plastic condition; or it may be admitted thereinto under. some pressure and be permitted to set alter placement therein.

A still further modiiled form of core may be made as illustrated in Figs. 8 to 11 inclusive.

When so made, a hollow core I 6 extends longitudinally of the assembled platen. A compressible cylinder Il is placed about the core. The same is made of a highly resilient compressible product as live rubber or sponge rubber. Recesses are disposed in the oppositely disposed ends of the core and the resilient hub, and a driving hub I8, is adapted to the 4core and drives the same. A platen sheath I9, isl disposed about the resilient cylinder I l. Where the platen is made relatively ilat where it is to ,receive the hammer of the keys or the type, it may be made as illustrated in Fig. 12. When so made, the back 20, is made of any suitable material as live rubber that is highly compressible and yet has suillcient homogeneity to maintain its general l5 shape and contour. A platen face 2 I, is adapted to the back and upon which the direct blows of the hammer of type are made to strike. The

- back 20 absorbs the sound and does not telegraph the same to the frame of the machine thus 20 producing a relatively quiet-operating machine.

While the form of mechanism herein shown and described is admirably adapted'to fulilll the objects primarily stated, it is to be understood that it is not intended to conne the invention to the one form of embodiment herein shown and described, as it is susceptible of embodiment in various forms, all coming within the scope of the claim which follows.

What we claim is:

-A platen sheath of the class described, comprising an outer cylinder of relatively hard yet resilient rubber and an inner cylinder of soft live rubber, of the same length as the outer cylinder, said inner cylinder being formed with counter-bored portions at both of its ends, a hollow core within the inner cylinder and bearing heads attached to each end of the core, the inner hubs of the bearing heads being in intimate engagement within the ends of the hollow 4o core and the fianges of the heads being in intimate engagementwiththe counter-bored portions of the inner cylinder.

JAMES J. KELLY. LOUIS SOMMER. 

